The invention provides to fishermen very rapid and convenient access to single fish hooks (as distinguished from double or treble hooks), while simultaneously meeting a fisherman's need to be protected from the hazards inherent to fish hooks, such as puncture wounds and snagging on clothing. It also provides an alternative to other known hook storage methods. The invention is designed to be worn on the person, through attachment to a shirt or coat button, a safety pin, or similar means, or to a lanyard or string which is either suspended from around the neck or tied to clothing. It will simultaneously store several sizes of hooks if such is desired, or store a uniform size and shape of hook. Because the package is essentially flat, several may be easily stored in a single pocket, providing the fisherman to quickly switch to a supply of hooks of a different size or style as fishing conditions or opportunities change. The invention substantially eliminates the numerous inconveniences inherent to known fish hook storage mechanisms, such as hook spillage and loss, and hook corrosion due to entrapment of moisture. It also greatly reduces access time and the amount of body movement required to access hooks. Finally, once the hooks are manually accessed and slipped off of the storage arm of the apparatus, it is held by the fingers in an acceptable position for threading through with fishing line by the opposite hand. This differs from known forms of storage, from which hooks are grasped at random orientations and must usually be maneuvered and repositioned into an orientation suitable for threading through with the line. The need to access individual fish hooks is related to a particular type of fishing, known as bait fishing. Bait of various types are simply affixed to a hook and cast into the water. When circumstances require that another hook be tied to the line to continue fishing, such as the breaking of the line, or the need to change the size of the hook to adapt to different bait or different species being targeted, ready access to hooks is of great benefit to the fisherman. This is particularly true in ocean fishing situations during which schools of fish are encountered only for a very brief period of time and ready access to another hook to tie onto the line following hook loss due to, for example, line breakage or knot slippage, may translate into more fish catching opportunities.
Loose fish hooks are packaged for retail sale and stored for use in very few known ways. Clear rectangular plastic boxes with snap-latch lids are commonly used but allow the hooks to be spilled if dropped when the lid is open, and restrict the escape of moisture following immersion, promoting conditions which lead to corrosion of the hooks. When fishermen need to access hooks stored in a plastic box, they must reach into a pocket, open the box, grasp a hook, close the box, and replace the box into the pocket. This is a time-consuming task which reduces the amount of time a person spends actually fishing. In addition, some of these boxes are very difficult to open. Hooks stored in such boxes may furthermore become tangled and cause more than one hook to be removed. On occasion open boxes containing hooks are mishandled and dropped, causing the entire contents to spill out. If this occurs on sand or water, some or all of the hooks may be lost. Hook boxes trap moisture and can promote the corrosion of the entire content of the box following the reintroduction of wet hooks. Finally, fish hook boxes cannot be worn on an outer garment to overcome the inconvenience of access from a pocket.
Fish hooks are also commonly sold and stored in heat-fused vinyl cases and plastic reclosable-top bags. Hooks stored in this way are accessed by reaching with the fingers into the case or bag, exposing them to the risk of puncture wounds, or by tipping the contents out. An addition, this technique is slow, and also occasionally produces more than the single hook sought by the user. Similar to the hook box, closed hook bags also tend to trap moisture when wet hooks are reintroduced to them, resulting in conditions which lead to rusted hooks.
Tacklebox compartment storage of loose hooks is also common. However, when movement to the tacklebox is inconvenient, or where use of a tacklebox is incompatible with the fishing situation, fishermen must rely on an alternative source for hook access.
The access problems described above are aggravated by adverse fishing conditions, such as rain, cold, and low light, and challenging fishing environments such as exposed rocks and jetties, coastal surf, and shallow water wading.
The invention was created to provide an alternative to the conventional style of hook containers and overcomes aforementioned limitations inherent to them.
Since fishing is an extremely popular and common form of recreation, as well as a form of livelihood, it is not surprising that several proposals have been advanced with the intent of increasing fishing efficiency and productivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,771, issued Nov. 15, 1983, discloses a mechanism for the dispensing of fish hooks by means of a spring mechanism within a magazine. The eyelets of the hooks are exposed in this device, with the intent that the fisherman will complete the knot tying the next hook to be dispensed, while the hook is still retained within the dispenser. Each dispenser mechanism under the aforementioned patent number is limited to a single hook size, and allows for a limited number of knot-tying options to enable the practical use of the device. Other mechanisms, notably U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,717,470 and 3,540,143 present the eyelet of the hooks for threading through with fishing line prior to dispensing, and then releasing the hook prior to the completion of the knot.